Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1068299
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 DECEMBER 2019 THIS WEEK MUSIC great desire of theirs for more appreciation of so distinct a characteristic within a Mal- tese home. Not because it looked 'sweet' or because it is 'typical' but rather because it functioned so very well. There was a symbol to it, there was a vernacular to it, there were climatic issues it served and there were so- cial negotiations it exhibited. The point of the project is to highlight the loss of all these elements in unison, rather than any one element over the other. The antiporta held characteristics to it that, when combined, were unique. These were important for interactions of daily life with- in regular architecture in Malta. The state of things today, and what our buildings are saying about us now, is where our investiga- tion lies. How do you think architectural discourse and practices could continue to contribute to Malta's visual arts scene? Are there any important, timely and/or relevant synergies that you think could be exploited here? The collaborative nature of this project is what made this one invested in the contexts each member finds themselves in. Curators, artists, architects, photographers and art managers in synergy towards a conversation they simultaneously believe needs to be had. This meant there were contexts we each brought to make this a personal project and one that was invested in the ultimate niche the project was conceived within: architec- ture. There is definitely scope for more of this discourse to continue to generate discus- sion, for our industry to innovate. The time we are in currently is fueled by collabora- tion, and this is a world I feel very comfort- able working in. I believe more of this kind of energy within the local scene would augur well for the worlds of both architecture and the visual arts. What's next for you? Antiporta was one of the first projects of this nature which I worked on. I started it half way through my sixth year at university and it was very much in line with the kind of work I had wanted to do and was engaged in within my studies. So I'd really like to be a part of more projects of a similar nature. Antiporta will remain on display at Spazju Kreattiv at St James Cavalier, Valletta until 3 February. For more information on the ongoing and participatory project, log on to: https://www.antiporta.com/ Catching the eternal rhythm Beginner's magic I come from the very small town of Cabo Rojo in the south-west of Puerto Rico, and was born into a family of professionals who grew up as farmers. My musical journey first began when I tried my hand at the guitar -- my father was a huge fan of Segovia and Montoya… but it didn't really work out for me. Luckily, changing tack to drum- ming did! I got my first kit at 12 years old and was making music -- and money! -- within a week! So I haven't looked back since then. Taking on the world… and surfing back home When I hit 19 and was on my third year of the University at San German (Puerto Rico), I suddenly made a decision to head to Boston. I transferred to the New England Conservatory and in my second year there, I landed a gig with the legendary Stan Getz, after which we ended up touring across Europe together, and recording 'Another World'. Then in 1979 I moved to Los Angeles, where I stayed for around 20 years, being fortunate enough to work on a number of film soundtracks, commercials, TV shows and music albums. My next stop was Spain, where I played alongside and recorded with top flamenco, jazz and pop artists for four years. After that it was South Africa for another four years, and then I went surfing for five years… back to Puerto Rico. Spreading the knowledge Writing has helped me structure my approach towards teaching drumming - I wrote books on the subject pretty much wherever I landed - in LA, South Africa and most recently in Western Austral- ia, where I wrote my latest work focused on a whole new approach in teaching rhythm. Now, I look forward to heading to Malta! Drumming priorities At the end of the day, the most important thing is to just groove along with the people. If you can somehow manage to channel your talent in a way that latches onto people's general wavelength, you will do fine. Masterclasses of this kind -- where you learn in groups -- are actually great because they allow you to hold on to the groove of others: to 'catch' what they're doing and let yourselves be carried along with it. Individual sessions have their purpose too, of course, but they should be reserved for working on specific problems and issues that may need to be ironed out… oth- erwise, I think that on the whole group learning should be prefer- able. What I teach are the funda- mentals of the art. It's when you go to the fundamentals, to the real root of things, the advanced and complex elements of the craft simply reveal themselves to you. I want to help my students create a relationship between everything -- if you only focus on fragmented details, you will not reach the fun- damentals. Contemporary challenges, ancient solutions The biggest challenge that any musician faces nowadays is being able to tap into tradition without letting it get in your way. We live in a world where we are bombard- ed by the new, the fragmented and the unrelated at every turn, which makes it difficult to forge signifi- cant connections, allowing uncer- tainty to fester. As contradictory as it sounds, to be modern is to be tra- ditional! Picasso realised this when he channelled African art, Einstein realised the same with his grav- ity waves. We need to remember that nature is 'counter-intuitive'... which does not mean it's opposed to what we are, simply that it's dif- ferent to what we expect, and that we should pay closer attention to it. How this all relates to drum- ming is clear: coordination is built into nature, and it is a flip-side to rhythm, which is a fundamental as- pect of the practice, as it incorpo- rates the inevitable -- and still nec- essary -- element of chaos into the mix. In short, this is what I in fact teach: coordination in movement, as it is associated with music. Efrain Toro will be delivering his masterclass on percussion on 12 January at 4pm, at Knight Music, Luqa. Bookings: ticketline.com.mt. For more information, log on to: www.knightmusic.com World-renowned percussionist Efrain Toro speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about his life in music, and the philosophy of his teaching methods as he prepares for 'Rhythm in Essence' - a masterclass he'll be holding next week at Knight Music in Luqa Efrain Toro